Digital imaging devices typically have many automatic settings. For example, many digital cameras automatically set the focus, the aperture, and the exposure time. Some digital cameras allow the user to override or assist the automatic settings. For example, some digital cameras allow the user to set the area in the image that will be used by the camera to determine the focus. One way this is done is by centering the area in the viewfinder and pressing the shutter button halfway down. Once the camera has focused, the user re-frames the shot and presses the shutter button the rest of the way down. Other cameras allow the user to mark an object to be used as the focus area, for example see U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,585 “Image sensing apparatus with settable focus detection area” which is hereby included by reference. One way that is used to select an object is for the user to center the object in the viewfinder or display and then press a control. Once an object has been selected a marker is displayed that identifies the object. There are many styles used for markers, one example is square brackets that is shown surrounding the selected object. Some cameras even allow multiple objects to be selected and marked. In many cameras today the camera tracks the selected object even when the camera is panned to reframe the scene. Unfortunately, cameras today lose track of a selected object when the camera is panned far enough that the object is no longer in the field of view of the device.
Therefore there is a need for a digital imaging device that can track the position of selected objects even when the selected objects are not currently in the field of view of the camera.